diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f3c82d7ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+Copyright (C) 2015-2016 The Lightning Network Developers
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+
+The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+THE SOFTWARE.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d82e7f310..0358b0ba6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 # lightning-onion
 
 An in-progress Go implementation of [Sphinx](http://www.cypherpunks.ca/~iang/pubs/Sphinx_Oakland09.pdf) and [Hornet](http://www.scion-architecture.net/pdf/2015-HORNET.pdf), two onion routing schemes which serve as the basis for onion-routed HTLC payments within the Lightning Network. For further details, [see this post to to the lightning-dev mailing list](http://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/lightning-dev/2015-December/000384.html). 
+
+Y'all shouldn't use this quite yet, it's still under development, and review.